Every single flight I open Instagram to immediately realise I have flight mode engaged and then I exit it and try to think of how to stay entertained only for me repeat this action forty more times…
A flight attendant has finally revealed why airplane mode exists and why it’s asked of every passenger for them to turn it on during travel. Former cabin crew employee at Virgin Atlantic, Mandy Smith, has finally explained this.
“This is to prevent us losing signal from a beacon. […] Say a radio beacon would be there and you’re coming into land or taking off, the beacon would signify where the ground is and the ground level. The aircraft is following that beacon. […] Any other radio signals such as mobile phones, even Furbies – they used to ban Furbies back in the day.” – Mandy Smith, former Virgin Atlantic Cabin Crew
So there you go, yes, flight mode is still an essential requirement needed, primarily for take off and landing. Soooooooo… Does that mean I can turn it off mid-flight? I joke, you should absolutely still engage flight mode at all times during flights. This however these days is less of an issue for those who still wish to browse the internet mid-flight as many flights these days come included with their own inflight wifi.
